Social Media

“If you don’t know where you’ve come from, you don’t know where you’re going.” Of course, Maya Angelou’s famous quote was actually four lines of prose. The purpose of her abbreviated statement was clear though, respect and understand the past, to help you move to a better future. This is the essence of business networking.
Read More
Another week, another social snapshot. We know it can be hard to stay up to date with the social media news popping up every day. Stick with us as we take you closer to the world of social media and everything you need to know.   Twitter experiments…
Read More
That title is a nod to Bo Burnham’s Inside, the comedian’s latest special on Netflix, in which he spends a hefty amount of time discussing the effects of social media. His song Welcome to the Internet covers how there’s a little bit of everything for everyone, good and…
Read More
Last week saw the launch of our Technology CMO Outlook Report. Alongside Copy House, we put the flesh on the bones of the normal benchmark reports and brought to you in-depth interviews from the CMOs of some of the biggest names in tech. On Friday, we were live with…
Read More
  Another week, another Social Snapshot. It can be hard to stay up to date with the social media news popping up every day. But don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. Have a look at the latest happening in the world of social media through our social snapshot:…
Read More
  Who doesn’t love a refresh? Be it a new hairdo or a colourful wardrobe? In this case, I’ll be talking about our brand refresh – a labour of love for almost 8 (yes, e i g h t) months. Taking what we already had, simplifying it, and…
Read More
Brands, we hear your plea… you want better engagement and higher conversions, right? What’s the secret [BBQ] sauce? It’s the consumer data. In social, there are billions of consumers chatting about everything under the sun, so you just need to listen, interpret the data and use it to…
Read More
Social media is not a walk in the park. Any marketer can tell you that. There’s a lot of strategic thinking and planning that goes on behind the scenes (stating the obvious I know). But as brands continue to jump onto the social platforms, and sometimes ALL…
Read More
Another week, another Social Snapshot! We know it can be hard to stay up to date with the social media news popping up every day. Stick with us as we take you closer to the world of social media and everything you need to know.   Instagram extends Reels…
Read More
Building a relationship between you and your design team is imperative to creating social content that leaps off the screen and becomes ingrained in users’ minds. You should trust your designers to know what they are doing and keep the clients’ best interests in mind.  In…
Read More
In our first blog on the customer experience, we explored how to be human in the digital world, how to get leadership onboard, and how to prove the value of customer care across the business. This week, we’re going a little deeper; looking at how to implement…
Read More
Welcome to the new 20s, where not taking action or being silent are no longer options for organisations. The importance of inclusion and diversity is here to stay. There is no room for brands to sit back and act passively. Why? Well… consumers are becoming more demanding and…
Read More
Hello and welcome to our latest Social Snapshot News Roundup! Let’s dive right in:   Clubhouse – the uber popular social audio app – launched its Android version this month, bringing with it one million new users, and a million more are sitting on the waitlist. The app…
Read More
  We live in a digital era and there are billions of internet users worldwide. That means there are lots of opportunities for brands to engage with their audience and achieve business growth. One of the most effective methods for spreading brand awareness and attracting new customers is…
Read More
Why isn’t anyone advocating storytelling reporting to your own boardroom? As we emerge from COVID-19, boardrooms are scrutinising their post-COVID recovery plans. Budgets and ROIs are being assessed to determine if they’re investing in the right areas to deliver the required business impact, at the speed needed. There…
Read More
  As a designer, trusting the process is second nature. We have to work on specific elements, gradually building them up slowly and methodically until we get the final product. This is something that can make or break a design team, making sure that everyone has confidence in their…
Read More
  We know it can be hard to stay up to date with the social media news popping up every day. But don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. Have a look at the latest happening in the world of social media through our social snapshot.   Pinterest shares…
Read More
82% of people agree social media is a vital channel for delivering exceptional customer experience. We know consistently delighting customers is a complex task – requiring skills in leadership, tech and a healthy dose of agility. Often, though, the idea of focusing on the customer experience through social…
Read More
Any social media marketer knows that working in the platforms every day isn’t enough to qualify themselves as a subject matter expert. With algorithms and channel functionalities changing by the hour, social media marketers need to be reading industry blogs and following platform news to stay ahead of…
Read More
Another week, another social snapshot! We know sometimes it can be hard to stay up to date with the ever-changing world of social media. We’ve got a round-up for all of the latest happenings on social media. So, sit back, enjoy, and take it all in!   Clubhouse…
Read More
Yes, I absolutely did say that! And don’t worry farmers, this has nothing to do with you lot, I promise.   After years of our photos and artwork being subjected to weird cropping, Twitter has FINALLY rolled out their new image display for mobile, and let me tell you,…
Read More
Social skips its way through the whole customer journey, impacting various touchpoints, from awareness right through purchase into advocacy. More importantly, you need to map the journey, in detail, if you hope to be able to deliver a consistent and much-needed customer experience. And you do need to…
Read More
Another week, another social snapshot. We know it can be hard to stay up to date with the social media news popping up every day. Stick with us as we take you closer to the world of social media and everything you need to know.   Facebook launches…
Read More
Customer experience on social seems to be a huge topic right now. And is something we’ve discussed a lot recently at IF.  Over the past year, the way we use social has changed. In fact, our overall behaviour online has changed. With more and more consumers…
Read More
If you’re being challenged to deliver SQLs this year, then this blog is for you – and there is a video about it on our Facebook channel too, here, if you prefer watching a video, to reading a blog. Last week’s Serious Social Live saw me…
Read More
Hashtags remain one of the most effective ways to generate engagement on your Instagram posts in 2021. A report says that a post with at least one hashtag averages 12.6% more engagement than posts without any. So, it’s worth including them in your content strategy.
Read More
It’s that time of the week again – time for your social snapshot! Grab a coffee and stick with us as we take you through our weekly roundup of everything you need to know about what’s new on social media   Twitter launches an initial test of ‘Professional…
Read More
    Clubhouse has given us all a little peek into some recent updates that will be happening to the app. These include the beginning of Android testing and higher quality audio.   First off, when checking out someone’s page, you’ll now be able to see any upcoming…
Read More
A few weeks ago, we wrote a piece on when it was best to stand out from the crowd, and if done right, can create some truly engaging content that sees other brands jumping on your bandwagon. The most recent occurrence…
Read More
Another week, another social snapshot. Sometimes it can be hard to stay up to date with the constantly changing world of social media! Stick with us as we take you closer you through our weekly roundup of everything you need to know.   Facebook letting users transfer posts…
Read More
You’ve probably noticed our Friday Serious Social episodes on your feeds, where each week we report updates on the latest and greatest happening in social media, feature in-depth insights from various sectors, host interviews with thought leaders and discuss the different ways to break the social boring. But…
Read More
What employees say on social matters. It can sometimes break a company and often raise it up. Your insides are on view. Yes, all the wonderfulness of your company and all the hidden skeletons (and messy, frayed, edges) are now shining clearly to your customers, your investors, your…
Read More
  In an update that doesn’t come as a shock… although has me going “hmmmm??” Reddit is currently testing out its own Clubhouse-style audio social. However, the most notable difference is the voice chat feature being available to moderators, and also subredditers who purchase a “power-up” subscription.  …
Read More
Another week, another social snapshot. With social media news constantly popping up, it can be hard to stay up to date. Stick with us as we take you closer to the world of social media and everything you need to know.   LinkedIn introduces a new ads guide…
Read More
Influencer marketing: a form of social media marketing that helps bridge the gap between businesses and consumers, offering insights into products to help inform decision making and ultimately influence audiences. Of course. What started as a hobby and changed into a career in 2009, influencers have taken the social…
Read More
Well, we could simply say… research, plan it, write it, check it, check it again, post it. But there’s really much more to writing for social media than many people think. Here are our top tips, and what not to do! First Thought What is the first thing,…
Read More
It’s no secret that the last 12 months has thrown out some challenging moments for every single brand and organisation across the globe. Recently, Katy Howell (CEO, immediate Future) and Belle Lawrence (Associate Director, Immediate Future) sat down with a group of experienced marketers in the FMCG world…
Read More
Another week, another Social Snapshot! Grab a coffee and get stuck in to get yourself up to speed with the latest happenings in social   TikTok adds auto-captions TikTok has added a new auto-captions feature where users will be able to overlay automated subtitles onto their videos to…
Read More
  There are new social media marketing tactics popping up every day. When first getting started in social, it can be tough to define which ones are right for your brand and audience.   Influencer partnerships can have a huge impact on boosting your…
Read More
  As we move towards a more hopeful outlook to the opening of the world’s door’s, we should remember that our time in this horrible, horrible pandemic has changed the digital landscape for the foreseeable future. This new mindset will change how we host events/talks even past this…
Read More
Social media is about open, unfiltered ideas being sent across the web to anyone in the world willing to listen. Platforms like Twitter are called that because they give users a literal platform to speak from, voice their opinions and engage with others. Over time, this idea has…
Read More
Paid media is a complex and ever-changing beast that can make success on social particularly difficult. Especially if you don’t take note of the regular adaptations to features, functions and most importantly algorithms – recently there have been some big changes. Understanding algorithms is key for knowing what you…
Read More
  As we all know and have seen, Twitter has been working on their Spaces tool and more specifically trying to improve their Spaces experience.    Currently, the only way to join is to open the…
Read More
Since McDonalds and AutoTrader talked about being bold with content, it has been front of mind for me. I cannot stop thinking about the minutiae of being brave with social comms.  It matters. Social is so noisy, you need bold content to grab attention. But it is a…
Read More
As part of its analyst day overview, earlier this year, Twitter released a series of potential new features they hope will boost numbers and aggressively grow their user base over the next three years. Including various new subscription-based features, which will enable creators to monetize their Twitter following:…
Read More
Social is a very visual medium, so why are brands still doing a bad job at communication through design? Whether it’s a boring, wallpaper image, or a message which doesn’t translate from print to social (we’re looking at you, Burger King), there’s no reason brands can’t take the…
Read More
On social, its crucial for brands and identities to sometimes stand out from the crowd, to create content that engages users and makes an impact.   Making the same content as others can appear stale and overdone, so there is a lot of pressure to create content that can…
Read More
Another week, another Social Snapshot! Sometimes it can be hard to stay up to date with the ever-changing world of social media! Stick with us as we take you through our weekly roundup of everything you need to know…   Twitter’s restricting ad replies The news we’re welcoming with…
Read More
  Imitation is the best form of flattery – rarely is an idea fully formed at the start. The technical birthplace of wireless is in the Netherlands, where WaveLAN (an early form of the still nascent wireless networking standard) was introduced with the intent for use in cashier…
Read More
With the new financial year upon us, stakeholders are busy checking and ratifying plans and budgets for FY21/22. With the annual merry-go-round of financial and marketing planning shenanigans comes a new focus on demand generation. After all, organisations have endured a year no one expected. Surviving was rightly considered…
Read More
It’s that time of the week again – time for your social snapshot! We’ve got a round-up for all of the latest happenings on social media. So grab a coffee and get up to speed    Facebook announces new features for IWD With International Women’s Day coming…
Read More
That’s right, Pinterest are out here celebrating and showcasing independent shops owned by women for International Women’s Day. “Working women were disproportionately hit by the COVID economic fallout. Last December, women accounted for 100% of U.S. jobs lost that month. There are even talks of a “Shecession””. Now,…
Read More
  Will Clubhouse live up to the hype? Will it last? Frankly, no one knows. But what is clear is that audio is coming into its own. Twitter is rolling out Spaces, and Fireside is waiting in the wings with…
Read More
With 20.33 million daily active users, TikTok is fast becoming the place to be. What started as a platform viewed for the younger audience, the demographics of users have broadened (popularity increased during 2020), and more and more brands are exploring this new venture. But how should brands approach…
Read More
Let’s get real, most of the content you’re scrolling through on social right now is BORING. Social feeds are a sea of pointless pictures, yawn-inducing infographics, and videos that would send an insomniac to sleep! BUT then… you’re stopped in your tracks by something stand-out, thumb-stopping, and exciting!…
Read More
Last week we informed you that Facebook was looking to cash in on creating a rival product to the widely popular Clubhouse. While this is true, it seems that Instagram is still trying to catch up with other social networks and enable users to have more than two…
Read More
Reactive social media is something we’ve seen a lot of recently and was considered a growing trend in 2020 after everyone turned to social at the start of the pandemic. When done well, this type of content can really pay off, but it doesn’t come without its risks.
Read More
If you’re a marketer, whether it be in a global organisation or a small agency, it’s likely that social media is present in your day-to-day. But while most marketers have had some experience in social media, not all are the ‘experts’ they position themselves to be. We’ve listed…
Read More
I was thinking about the chat I had on last week’s Serious Social Live, with David O’Hearns from Dawn Creative. We talked about building brand. Everything from the basics to the knotty problems. In particular we discussed how branding is not just about social. It is an integrated…
Read More
Social media marketing is an excellent tool that bridges the gap between businesses and consumers. When used strategically and a clear understanding has been met, great outcomes can be achieved. So there’s no doubt why we’ve seen so many companies flood to social channels over the past year.
Read More
Here we go again! Another rundown of the latest happenings in social media from the past week. So, sit back, grab a coffee and enjoy another edition of Social Snapshot!   Twitter is caring for the customer Online shopping is becoming increasingly popular and this means your digital…
Read More
In the era of ‘FAKE NEWS’, Facebook has begun its rollout of ‘Facebook News’ for users based in the UK. This service will be a tailored choice of Facebook approved news sources that users can consume on the web or the official Facebook app in its very own tab. With…
Read More
To save you a long read if you are not here for the why: there isn’t really a best time to post on social media, or rather, if there is one, it can change overnight, depends on a lot of factors, and ultimately, doesn’t really matter. Let’s explore.
Read More
It won’t surprise you to hear that an unprecedented number of brands adopted social media marketing in 2020. The ongoing COVID challenge forced many to do things differently and in many cases doing things they have not done before. Regular viewers of our Serious Social Live videos or regular…
Read More
As the daughter of two baby boomers, I’m the first to admit that I have had little faith in the digital capabilities of this demographic. I can’t count how many times I’ve pleaded with my parents that their iPad camera can, in fact, capture more than their forehead,…
Read More
We’ve almost made it to the end of January, and what a month it has been! Now you’re back in the full swing of working you might be falling behind on social news, which is where we come in. So, sit back, grab a coffee and get up to…
Read More
      Who doesn’t love a bit product tagging? Especially if you’re a business or creator. The process makes it so much easier for us, as consumers, to buy what we see in a post.   The latest company to jump on this, is none other than…
Read More
  I was talking to a senior marketer last week about building great customer relationships. She said something that stuck in my head: we should show our customer’s respect. It resonated with me because acquisition has been the focus these last 10 months to the detriment of relationships…
Read More
For many people working outside of our industry, social media marketing seems easy. Wrong. What they don’t know is how much effort and hard work goes on behind the scenes. And it’s not just down to one person. To be successful in social media marketing, you need to collaborate –…
Read More
New year, new… well, nothing? If you’re feeling like nothing has changed and the world of social media is as exhausting as ever, we’ve collated a few best-practice thoughts for you – you’re stronger than you think! Be agile, not fragile Change is the only constant… who said…
Read More
Going into 2021, companies might be looking at rejigging how they approach their audience on social media. It’s a tumultuous time, with many looking to their favourite businesses for signs they are adapting and changing their way of working to meet the needs of both their customers and…
Read More
Welcome back for another year of our Social Snapshot! Today we are taking a look at the biggest stories of January – plus a few missed from the end of the year when we were all on break. Let’s dive in:   Instagram adds new creative tools in…
Read More
Podcast listenership in the UK reached an estimated 15.6 million listeners in 2020. And as brands continue to see opportunity in reaching audiences and building communities through this interactive format, there’s no sign of it slowing down any time soon. But working with an audio-only…
Read More
As we hurtle straight into January 2021 with the speed of a bunch of social media marketers who are just insanely grateful that 2020 is over, I know that time will be short to read lengthy blogs! So instead, here are my top recommendations for who to follow…
Read More
Well, there’s simply nothing more we can talk about with 2020. It really has been a rollercoaster of a year for us all and we’ve captured some of the crazy highlights in our festive round-up image. From decamping overnight to home offices, furloughed & un-furloughed staff and keeping…
Read More
The time of year has arrived where marketers and platform experts take a look back over the past 12 months and start making predictions for what’s to come. And although many of us are starting to wind down for our well-deserved Christmas break, these insight-filled blogs and guidelines…
Read More
In recent days, gamers have swarmed social media to show their disappointment in the launch of the highly anticipated video game, ‘Cyberpunk 2077’, some of which have been waiting over ten years for its release. To the dismay of many, the game released to platforms in an unplayable state, making…
Read More
Although we’re starting to wind down for the Christmas period, the world of social media is not. With news, updates and new features being announced every day, it can be hard to keep up! So, sit back, we’ve got you covered for the latest in all thing’s social media.
Read More
If you’re not storyboarding your social media then you’re set for 2021 failure. Brands who continue delivering arbitrary social media face a significant challenge ahead. Against the backdrop of a brutal 2020, some will think my comments harsh and not what they want to hear. My counter, as I…
Read More
Sales and marketing are two important business functions within an organisation; and because they both impact lead generation and revenue, they are consistently working together. However, despite this obvious crossover – how these departments work together is not always seamless and requires constant communication and alignment. As social…
Read More
We’ve predicted four standout Social Media Ad format performers for 2021, but there are six you should probably add to your go-to library. And no, this is not another of those time-wasting summaries or predictions that proliferate social media at this time of year. We’ve been doing our homework…
Read More
Whenever a planning phase is imminent, such as the start of a new year or preparing a campaign proposal, a key element is often missed – results and data from the last campaign. If you’re on top of things and managing to review your social marketing data regularly,…
Read More
It’s that time of the week again – time for your social snapshot! We’ve got you covered for the latest in all thing’s social media. So, sit back, enjoy and take it all in.   Facebook launches social good website Facebook’s launched a new website ‘Social Good for Business’,…
Read More
Let’s face it Covid restrictions have transformed trends, behaviours and shaped the way we live our everyday lives. And when it comes to shopping, things are very different from what they were seven months ago. Ever-changing consumer habits have forced many companies to re-think their retail and distribution models,…
Read More
  Without a doubt next year is going to be bumpy. We’re not over the pandemic yet; the UK faces Brexit; and a recession is on the cards. Whether your industry is flying or picking itself back up again, you will need a plan for next year. This…
Read More
As it’s less than a month until Christmas, it only seems right to write a festive-inspired blog and get everyone in the holiday spirit This week, TikTok launched a holiday playbook for small businesses, to help with marketing plans ahead of…
Read More
It’s been a BIG week for social news. We’ve seen new features, new partnerships and details about what’s to come from all of the top platforms! To help you stay on track, we’ve rounded up a few articles… Let’s get stuck in   Instagram’s testing FAQ’s Instagram is working…
Read More
Over the years, as social media has become the be-all and end-all of where online content is consumed, the quality and style of creative imagery have continued to advance and achieve a wide range of results. As social is an ever-evolving landscape, trends and fads come and go from…
Read More
Building your brand personality on social will set you in good stead for the future – more than that, it’ll ensure your audience understand who you are and what you stand for, building up brand trust. The key to building this up is consistency – write in a…
Read More
Imitation is the highest form of flattery. The phrase is so common because it’s true – once you have a highly successful idea, chances are someone is going to make either a better version, or a far worse version of it, but the end result will be that…
Read More
Fleets are finally here, make your Messenger chats auto-disappear and receive help from Instagram – let’s take a look at it all in today’s Social Snapshot:   Facebook adds new ‘vanish mode’ for Messenger Facebook has announced a new ‘vanish mode’ for Messenger, in which your messages will…
Read More
Quality content pieces take time, effort and resources. And while the saying goes ‘let the content speak for itself’, that isn’t always the case when it comes to social media. Why? Audiences digest content differently – whether it be a certain time of day, a specific format or…
Read More
The new normal, post-Covid world, or whatever you may call it, is going to change everything. From the way we work to the way consumers behave. If we look to the future, it’s looking pretty bleak – we can’t sugar-coat that. Brexit, the continuation of covid, a potential recession…
Read More
Another week, another #socialsnapshot. This week saw updates across many of the big social media players. A big focus has been on Twitter following its continued censorship during the US Presidential Election. Marketers are also keeping an eye in the shifting power of e-commerce platforms following the positive…
Read More
  2020… what else is there left to say? A soul-sapping, up and down rollercoaster of emotions that has forced some to do the unthinkable. Yes, that’s right people. Christmas trees are sprouting up in front-rooms across the UK as families and friends alike look to ’light up…
Read More
  I am always a bit shocked when I discover there is no strategy behind marketing – how on earth do you know if it works if you don’t know where you’re going? So, when I heard that somewhere between 50-60% of branded communities have no strategy or…
Read More
With the groundbreaking election taking place across the pond, we are reminded to vote and to share with others the importance of voting through our social channels. Platforms are giving us factual information, and sometimes something creative to show support. These sort of social media events have been going…
Read More
Supporting businesses, Christmas and a few new platform announcements – it’s social snapshot time, so let’s just jump right in!   Twitter offers Christmas insights Like all of 2020, Christmas is going to be different this year. So, to help marketers prepare for the unusual festivities, Twitter has shared…
Read More
Will perennial bridesmaid LinkedIn ever become the bride? It pains me to say I suspect not. Before anyone thinks this is an anti-LinkedIn or anti-Microsoft rant, this X-Box playing marketeer wants nothing more than LinkedIn to realise its potential. Sadly, the diversified IT supplier appears to place more…
Read More